Unfortunately, the chatter from a nearby table disrupted her tranquility. A middle-aged man quietly remarked, “I heard that the second young lady of the Shushu mansion is preparing to become a concubine for the Rui Prince.”
Noticing Lan Lan’s glance, he raised his cup, studying her intently, which made her uncomfortable enough to blush and look away. He chuckled, thinking, “What an interesting woman!”
Recalling her last visit to the palace, she remembered being led by the empress’s maid into a room where she saw Long Junhao sleeping next to another woman.
The woman, caught in the act, panicked and begged for mercy.
Lan Lan coldly watched the empress’s performance, thinking it was clichéd and poorly executed, but her anger was rising. Looking at the man who was once cold but close to her, her heart ached. She was angry at his weakness and lamented her misfortune. When did this shrewd man become someone who could be manipulated? Or was he willing? Not wanting to hear more, she suppressed her pain, maintained her calm, and turned to leave without a word.
Everyone was surprised by her calm demeanor, expecting a scene. The empress, seeing her leave silently, felt uneasy, wondering if she had made a mistake.
Once in the carriage outside the palace gates, tears burst forth uncontrollably. The issue of offspring was challenging even in modern times, let alone in this backward era.
If it were another problem, she could find a solution. But how could she address this? What was Long Junhao thinking? He had shown no unusual behavior. Did this mean he still loved her?
Later, Long Junhao, anxious and frantic, went mad upon learning what had happened after waking up.
He wanted to rush home and explain immediately. If his wife misunderstood, he would be in trouble. He had only had a drink with the empress and then fallen asleep, unaware of what occurred afterward.
Returning to the wang fu, he found Lan Lan lying on the bed, radiating sadness. His heart ached; it was all his fault. Any outcome that hurt her was something he never wanted to see, and now he had caused such a grave mistake.
He gently lay next to her, holding Lan Lan tightly, as if afraid she might leave.
